Jim O'Callaghan
Dublin Bay South · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“This relates to section 69 of the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann, which amends Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to add the Courts Service to the Schedule.”
“The first four amendments in this group are minor drafting corrections. They corrected the wording in four places so that the Bill reads consistently. It is changing the word "references" to "a reference". They make no change to the substance or effect of the Bill.”
“The ARP scheme was introduced in July 2022 to recognise the generosity of members of the public who opened their houses, whether in their entirety or through the provision of a room, at their own expense to provide shelter to people displaced by the Ukraine war. The Department of Social Protection administers the scheme on my behalf.”
“I have no doubt it will be challenged, and I have to be able to convince a court, if it is being challenged, that this legislation weighs up conflicting interests and recognises there is a mechanism for somebody who has reformed himself to get off the register.”
“The scheme has been a lifeline for people from Ukraine displaced by the conflict, given high rental market rates and scarcity of rental accommodation.”
“I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in the first instance for presiding over these Stages of the legislation. I am very pleased that this legislation has been enacted. I want to thank a few people very briefly. I thank Deputy McAuliffe for introducing me to Jason Poole. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for her work on this issue in the Seanad.”
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“Reports covering the 12 months up to 31 May 2025 were placed in the Oireachtas Library on 18 June. I will deal first with the motion on the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1988. Deputies will be aware that it was enacted in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing in August 1998. The legislation was a necessary and proportionate response to an atrocious and barbaric act and the murder of 29 innocent people by the Real IRA. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will be aware there is an inquiry ongoing in Northern Ireland into the Omagh bombing. I assure Members of this House, and indeed the public, that the Irish Government is co-operating fully with that inquiry. We do not agree with the suggestion there should be two separate inquiries in both jurisdictions.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann resolves that sections 2 to 4, 6 to 12, 14 and 17 of the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 39 of 1998) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2025 and ending on 29th June, 2026. The two motions seek the approval of the Dáil to continue in force provisions in the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 which are aimed at combating terrorism and organised crime. Given the nature of these important provisions, the Houses of the Oireachtas has decided they should be periodically reviewed and that has happened on an annual basis. As Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, I am required to lay reports before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the use of the relevant provisions in the two Acts.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising that. I will speak to the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, who is responsible for special education needs. I am concerned to hear that Marino special school has not had that review yet. It needs to be given some certainty in terms of where we are now with the new year starting up. I will ask the Minister of State to come back to the Deputy.”
“That is an upsetting account that the Deputy has had to give about a constituent who has been paying their private healthcare for years and was then told that pembro is not covered. The Health Insurance Act regulations require insurers to require a minimum level of cover to every insured person. Beyond that, in terms of what specific issues are covered or not, that is set out in the agreements entered into between the individual and the healthcare insurer or provider. It is certainly the case that people should look closely. If Laya Healthcare is precluding cover for this, and other entities are providing cover, that is something that should be publicised.”
“I thank the Deputy for identifying that the 50th anniversary of the Dundalk bombing is coming up. Regrettably, nobody has been brought to justice for those murders. Technically, it is an ongoing Garda investigation but the reality is that we are going to have to try to get some mechanism to deal with this and others as legacy issues. There are ongoing discussions between the Irish Government and the British Government as to how to best address legacy issues. It is certainly the case that the Dundalk bombing would come within the parameters of the types of events that need to be investigated. I will keep the Deputy apprised of any developments on that.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo atá tábhachtach do mhuintir Chiarraí. I will try to find out what the issue is with that. I do not have the information in respect to it. There certainly should be a playground in west Kerry. I am surprised that there is not. I would have thought there should be one around Dingle. I will raise it with the relevant officials and come back to the Deputy.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising that issue. I do not have exact detail in respect of the funding for Kildare County Council at present. I will raise it with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Browne. The Deputy correctly identifies that the population of Kildare is increasing very significantly. Obviously there are significant pressures to ensure public services are available. I will go back and have a look at the figures for gardaí in Kildare, but it is the case there are demands for gardaí everywhere and we just need to get more into the force to ensure every part of the country can have more of them.”
“That is doing a lot of work at present. I hear what the Deputy says about the reports as well. They are contentious and controversial, but we have got to identify some mechanism so the voice of the child can be heard in family law proceedings.”
“I thank Deputy Gogarty. It is correct to point out that when most people access the courts it is probably through the family court system. Most people stay away from the courts and it is only because of circumstances that force them before them because of family law issues that they have to engage with the courts. I have received a report on the in camera rule. I do not think we will be able to completely remove it. It is always going to be the case we are going to have to protect the identity of certain individuals and children before the courts. I want to see a much better environment for the hearing of, and determination of, family court hearings. At present the facilities are not good enough. There is a family law implementation group that is going to seek to implement the statutory policy set out in the Family Law Act.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising that issue. I agree school secretaries and caretakers play an absolutely essential and invaluable role in schools. Many of us know schools that simply could not operate without the school secretary or indeed the caretaker. I note the assimilation of school secretaries to a payroll administered by the Department has provided significant benefits where pay and access to leave are concerned. I note what the Deputy stated about the further requests from school secretaries and caretakers and I will raise that with the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee.”
“On the community safety partnerships, I will be signing those regulations shortly and I hope that will enable the partnerships to get up and running.”
“I thank the Deputy. I agree with her there are more gardaí on the streets of Dublin city centre and it has had a very positive impact. It is not the intention and I hope it is not the effect that gardaí are taken from different areas. I do not think that is the case. The Commissioner has made a decision that a significant number of new recruits coming out will be put in Dublin in the first instance, but others are being transferred to other parts of the country as well. Obviously, all this is dependent on recruiting more people into An Garda Síochána. We had a good recruitment campaign where 6,700 people expressed interest in joining the force. We need to translate that into membership of the force, as the biggest problem gardaí have is their popularity and their success. People want to see them everywhere.”
“We are aware of the issue regarding the Oireachtas broadcasters. It cannot be an easy job. As a party, Fianna Fáil supports what they seek. We have written to the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. It is ultimately a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to respond to these issues. I believe the commission will engage with them. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue.”
“I thank Deputy Feighan for bringing this issue forward and the presentation from the NWRA. The north-west region has been identified in the programme for Government as an area that needs further investment. I am sure when it comes to the national development plan, each Minister will seek to advance capital projects in the region.”
“At Cabinet yesterday, the Minister for agriculture, Deputy Heydon, gave a detailed and informative account of bovine TB and his strategy to combat it, approved by Government. It is a serious issue from the point of view of Irish agriculture. If it became prevalent or widespread in Ireland, we would have a significant problem. Having listened to the Minister yesterday, he is on top of the issue. A strategy is in place to respond. I will ask him to get back to the Deputy directly.”
“Garda Tom Flavin was acquitted of all charges against him. It must have been a significant strain on him and his family. It took seven years, which is far too long for a criminal prosecution. Unfortunately, criminal prosecutions can take a lengthy period of time. It is not always the case the delay is a result of the Garda investigation. It goes to the DPP and through the courts, and processes can be delayed. For any person facing a criminal prosecution, there is an entitlement to ensure that is dealt with without delay. We should try to expedite all criminal prosecutions so they can be dealt with more quickly.”
“I agree with the Deputy. What is happening in Gaza is reprehensible and shocking. A concern the Government and I have is that because attention is now focused on Israel's war with Iran, it is off Gaza. We cannot allow that to happen. In fairness, no government in Europe has done more than the Irish Government in seeking to advance the protection and cause of the Palestinian people in Gaza. We must recognise that the way we put pressure on Israel is not simply through small pieces of legislation but by trying to bring about a co-ordinated European response, particularly in respect of the EU-Israel trade agreement. We gave a response previously on the proposed legislation. The Government opposed it and voted against it. It would not have been workable. That position has not changed.”
“The Minister, Deputy Foley, brought that report to Cabinet yesterday. It is important to note the report also acknowledges the positive and open engagement with Department officials over the past year. Officials in her Department have prepared an initial response to the recommendations alongside a commitment to continue engaging positively with the special advocate in relation to the issues raised. The Minister is engaging with the Attorney General to assess what can be done regarding religious orders that are not making any offer of financial contribution in respect of matters for which they are partly responsible.”
“There is very little I can do about the US immigration system. I am trying to put rules on the Irish immigration system. I cannot control the US immigration system. It is regrettable that these new measures are being introduced by the United States. I welcome the fact that the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach have indicated that they think the measures are inappropriate. We will mention it to the US authorities. Hundreds of thousands - probably millions - of Irish people have a great time on J-1 visas. They are still doing it this year, they have done it in the past and I think it will continue into the future.”
“That is not correct, and Sinn Féin does not have a monopoly when it comes to association with the heroes of 1916. Many of us in Fianna Fáil have a strong connection with those people who fought in 1916. The Deputy needs to accurately represent what was stated yesterday. It was stated that the GPO complex will be redeveloped as an ambitious flagship project, as a mixed-use development with a combination of cultural, retail and office components, befitting the national historical and cultural importance of the site. We need to recognise that the GPO is a huge site. I suspect the last thing Pádraig Pearse or James Connolly would want is for us to have it fossilised the way it was back in 1916. It is a vibrant, valuable site in the centre of the city. It represents not only our great history but also the future.”
“I am very pleased with the progress I heard from the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, in respect of the private wires. It sounds like there will be very significant developments on it in the near future, and the Deputy will be kept closely apprised of it.”
“I think the Deputy said it is northside swimmers who are being affected. Southside swimmers are affected as well by E. coli. We are not immune to E. coli on the southside of Dublin. This is a complicated area. The North-South interconnector is a hugely important issue. Referring back to the North-South Ministerial Council last week, it was an issue that was raised there. There has been too much delay in respect of it, and I know the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is seeking to expedite it. As regards the issue the Deputy raised in respect of data centres, we have to attract in international investment. If we start turning ourselves against that, saying there will be no more data centres, we will have a very negative impact on Ireland's reputation as a place where people can come to do business.”
“It is a big, complicated, technical area, but I want the Deputy to know that it is in the programme for Government and the Minister is committed to bringing forward the change that the Deputy seeks and that will unquestionably be of huge benefit to the people of Ireland and indeed his constituency.”
“The intention is that by allowing private wires, accelerated investment in new electricity infrastructure, to include renewable generation and storage, will be seen, which will ultimately benefit the whole electricity system. As the Deputy is aware, this is technically a very complicated area. There is a range of potential options available to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I understand from talking to the Minister that he intends to bring a policy statement to the Government in advance of the recess. As the Deputy also knows, and he has put forward his own proposals, legislative change will be required. Subject to approval by the Government, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will set out the next steps to give effect to policy changes.”
“The principles themselves, while not making immediate changes, are there to guide any changes which are to come and to provide guidance to the public and industry as to the direction of travel in respect of this key area, while reiterating the central role the national electricity grid will continue to play in the electricity system. Developing a fulsome private wires policy is a priority for this Government, and the Deputy will know that the programme for Government committed to expediting the delivery of this policy. The private wires policy will aim to unlock private sector resources - we need private sector resources in this - to build new electricity infrastructure by expanding the rights of private undertakings to connect supply directly with demand.”
“I want the Deputy to know that the Government has prioritised increased investment in our grid and expanding our energy generation with a particular priority on renewable energy sources. The Department of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, published a set of guiding principles for the development of a policy on private wires, as I know the Deputy is aware. Alongside the guiding principles, a summary report of the private wires public consultation and an appendix setting out all responses received were also published.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Is ceist an-tábhachtach í do mhuintir na tíre agus dá Dháilcheantar féin. I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I suspect there may be some people in the House who are not as aware of the private wires issue as Deputy Heneghan is. It is always good - he has spoken to me before about this - to have voices of experience here. For the benefit of those who understandably may not be aware of this, private wires refer to private individuals or undertakings running their own electricity cables in order to transfer electricity from one site to another. Private wires are separate from the national electricity grid.”
“However, if they are discovered to have destroyed documentation, that is a criminal offence and people have been prosecuted for that offence under the Immigration Act. Our systems are getting more vigorous.”
“I want the Deputy to know that Irish passports and citizenship are not granted easily. I am sure that if the Minister for foreign affairs were here, he would confirm that is true of passports. With regard to citizenship, many colleagues in this House ask me about citizenship applications. They criticise how long they take and ask why the process is so lengthy. The reason is that you have to do very significant vetting and testing before an individual is granted citizenship. That is done vigorously. The criticism I usually face from people in the House is that it takes too long and that the process should be sped up. With regard to people coming to Ireland claiming international protection, as I have told the Deputy, people who arrive in any EU country without documentation are entitled to claim asylum.”
“If we get prompt decisions - I am seeking to have decisions made within a period of three months in the first instance and on appeal - we will not have the type of situation the Deputy is concerned about. Where people have been granted international protection, they are perfectly entitled to stay and may subsequently apply for citizenship. If they have not been granted international protection, they will not be entitled to stay. That is the way the system is dealing with the matter. It is a complicated issue but vigilance is at a high level in the Departments of justice and foreign affairs.”
“In 2024, the border management unit carried out 7,325 doorstep operations at Dublin Airport. By the end of May this year, it had already carried out 2,453 such operations. The border management unit is doing a significant amount of work. If a person comes in claiming international protection, that person is entitled to have his or her application considered and processed. It is the same in every EU country and in the UK. What I am trying to do is to speed up that process, so people are not staying in Ireland for a number of years while waiting for their applications to be finalised and determined. It is much fairer to those people and to the system if they are given prompt decisions.”
“Like everyone in this House, I had assumed he was an Irish citizen but in fact he came to Ireland from Wales with his parents when he was one year of age. The Deputy should know that there is a very vigorous system in the Department of justice for the purposes of assessing citizenship applications. By way of example, most of the people I met down in Killarney have been in this country for many years. The Deputy also raised issues regarding people claiming international protection having arrived without documentation and the affidavits they subsequently swear. I will provide some statistics in respect of the excellent work being done by the border management unit within my Department. This unit is doing doorstep operations at Dublin Airport on a much more consistent basis.”
“That happens to anyone who arrives into a port. The Deputy raised issues with the passport system. We all want to speed up the passport system as much as possible so that people can get their passports quickly. The Deputy then raised the issue of people who seek citizenship through naturalisation. I had the great privilege of being down in Killarney on Monday when a judge was handing out citizenship. I was there to celebrate the citizenship of new Irish citizens. The Deputy would be surprised at the number of people there who have been in Ireland for years. I hope Mr. David Evans, also known as the Edge, does not mind me mentioning him but he has some public prominence and he was one of the people who received Irish citizenship.”
“We need to continuously emphasise that the type of behaviour that is advocated online is not acceptable and that a man or boy should never raise his hand to a woman.”
“It is important to emphasise the role of Coimisiún na Meán. In October 2024, it adopted Ireland's first online safety code, which obliges designated platforms to protect people, especially children, from harmful video and associated content. People spend far too much of their lives looking at social media. We need to tell young people, and adults, that what they see on social media is not representative of the real world. It is a misrepresentative reflection of the world. As politicians and policymakers, we all need to emphasise that. Great work is being done by Coimisiún na Meán. I take the Deputy's point regarding regulating online providers. He is not suggesting we do so but I emphasise that it is not easy to impose statutory requirements on them in the context of the powers we have. It must be done in an EU-wide context.”
“I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it is extremely difficult to combat and confront such activity. However, it starts with responsibility being exercised by social media providers and, second, ensuring we get our digital services legislation correct at EU level.”
“In the first instance, there is a big responsibility on social media companies to ensure they do not allow their platforms to become platforms of misogyny and violence against women. If they do, their business will suffer. They have a huge societal responsibility to ensure action is taken in this regard. In terms of the EU Digital Services Act and digital services co-ordination, there is a requirement that we get our act together at a European-wide level. This is not a problem that can simply be resolved through domestic legislation in Ireland. It requires an EU response. At present, as the Deputy knows, there is a divergence between views in the United States and views in Europe as to the extent of regulation required. The Government is very clear that we need regulation to ensure we combat the spread of this activity online.”
“The solution, to a large extent, lies with men. I commend the GAA on the huge amount it has done in recognising and trying to combat violence against women. This epidemic, as people have correctly described it, will only be resolved if the vast majority of men recognise the need for them to do work to emphasise its unacceptability. The GAA is working to achieve that, as are other sporting organisations. Those organisations come with a good authority because sport, by definition, is about physical contest and combat. It is about fairness and it is, in many respects, manly. It is an important mechanism by which we can emphasise to young boys and men that using violence against women is never acceptable. The Deputy asked what can be done about social media companies and the algorithms they use.”
“I express my condolences and those of the Government to the family of the disability campaigner, Jacqui Browne. I appreciate that the Deputy, as a man, has identified that this is predominantly a men's issue because violence against women is perpetrated by men. He is right in his identification that the influences on young men at present are considerably different from when he was a young man and certainly from when I was a young man. As I said earlier to Deputy Bacik, we do not see what is really happening online in terms of what young people are exposed to and how the relationship between men and women is being presented. There are some well-known examples of what the Deputy correctly calls misogynists who treat women completely as objects and seek to inform young men how they should treat women in relationships.”
“"Zero tolerance" is the excellent term we used in the strategy because this must be a type of activity for which we have zero tolerance. It is unacceptable that anyone would think issues in a relationship can be resolved through the use of violence. People cannot do so and, if they do, the criminal justice system will come down on them very strongly.”
“I hope that some of the measures she called for are already being acted upon by me, such as the counselling notes, guardianship of infants and the issue in respect of a disclosure system to reveal individuals who have been convicted of domestic abuse previously. I have no difficulty with that. I will speak to the new Commissioner, and I have spoken to the current Commissioner as well, in respect of the issue of domestic and gender-based violence. It is something I am prioritising in my time as Minister. As I said, I commend the excellent work done by my predecessor, Deputy Helen McEntee, and it is something that I am not going to allow to become less significant than it was during her tenure. We need to recognise that it requires a societal response.”
“It is more of an issue for men and boys than it is for women because, regrettably, my sex is the sex that perpetrates this violence against women to a large extent. We have to start warning boys and young men about the unacceptability of using violence in a relationship. Of course, other aspects of influence are imposed upon young boys and men now. Pornography must be having an extraordinary impact on young men because it presents women in a very submissive, malleable manner. We need to warn people at a young age, educationally, that it is unacceptable to use violence in a relationship. Not all the solutions are through the criminal justice system.”
“When women I have spoken to, who have contacted and engaged with An Garda Síochána, come into contact with gardaí who are expert in the area of domestic violence in particular, they have a very positive narrative. I am sure we all recall situations where we see on the news in the evening a victim coming out of court and expressing their gratitude to the members of An Garda Síochána and how professional they were in dealing with this. It is an ongoing issue and there is no simple solution in respect of it. However, it is also important, as I have stated repeatedly, that there is huge benefit to recognising it. We should not compartmentalise this as a woman's issue. It is a societal issue.”
“In the circumstances where the Deputy mentioned the issue of An Garda Síochána, the statistics were set out. As I said in reply to Deputy McDonald, the majority had a positive experience of their engagement with An Garda Síochána. Part of the problem, however, is that while the Garda has specialised officers who deal with domestic sexual and gender-based violence, sometimes it is the case that when a woman initially contacts An Garda Síochána, she does not meet a person within the force who has that level of expertise and training. It is the case that everyone in Templemore goes through basic training in respect of domestic violence but that advanced, heightened level of training that certain gardaí have only comes as a result of their focus on that certain area of expertise.”
“I thank the Deputy. I never heard anyone say, "Ah, it’s only a domestic." I do not see how anyone could say that when reflecting on the level of violence, homicides and killings of women that, regrettably, have taken place on the island. It is simply an unacceptable aspect of violence in this country that a significant amount of the violence is targeted against women. Of course, what distinguishes violence against women from violence against men, predominantly, is that it is vastly the case in violence against women that they are killed, murdered or assaulted by people with whom they are in a relationship, or were in an intimate relationship, or, indeed, a family member. It is that connection that makes it possible for us, as policymakers, to try to focus on solutions to identify how we can protect women from those who are close to them.”
“Cuan has had a very significant impact. It shows the seriousness with which the Government is taking this issue and the unacceptability of what happened in the past, where women tolerated it and people did not listen to them when they were subjected to domestic abuse. Those days are over. A part of the reason that more people are coming forward is that women feel confident to come forward.”
“Domestic violence against women is taken extremely seriously by the Government. I outlined some of the measures in my response to the Deputy but more are ongoing. I did not mention the fact that we are going to amend the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, which will ensure greater rights for the families of children whose mother, generally, has been murdered by the father of the child. We need to ensure that the father does not retain exclusive responsibility after that. I also want the Deputy to know that a sign of how serious the Government is taking it is that it was on the agenda last week at the North-South Ministerial Council. Naomi Long and I decided that this issue of domestic violence against women is an issue of such seriousness that it affects the whole island and we put it on the agenda of the North-South Ministerial Council.”
“Yesterday, I got approval from Government in respect of the zero-tolerance strategy and the final implementation plan for the strategy that goes up to the end of 2026. It shows that Government, and every Member of this House, is taking this issue extremely seriously. The Deputy is right about the numbers of individuals who are responding to Women's Aid. Indeed, An Garda Síochána got over 60,000 complaints of domestic abuse last year. Behind each of those statistics is a story and we cannot get lost in the narrative of statistics. She mentioned An Garda Síochána. I was concerned about the fact that a percentage of women were not satisfied with their initial engagement with gardaí but the majority were satisfied and we need to reflect that. Training is ongoing in Templemore in respect of this issue.”
“She established a separate statutory agency, Cuan, which has daily responsibility for trying to ensure there are refuge spaces. I agree with the Deputy in that it should not be our first port of call but it is unquestionably the case that we require refuge spaces throughout the country. I have visited many of them. An excellent refuge in Drogheda is an example of how it should be done. There will be one opening in my own constituency shortly in Ringsend. However, in order for that to happen, and for the progress to be seen to be advanced in the area of refuge spaces, it is a huge benefit that we have a separate statutory agency in Cuan that is focusing on getting those refuge spaces. It is also the case that having a separate statutory agency in place really shows the seriousness with which Government is treating this issue.”
“I agree with her that it should not be the case that the first instinct and the first port of call when a woman is subjected to domestic abuse in her home is that we ask how we can find another place for that woman to live. The response should be: how we can get the abuser out of the home? Of course, there are mechanisms in place to ensure that is being done, whether it is through barring orders, safety orders or other mechanisms that are available to women who find themselves in the appalling situation of being subjected to domestic abuse. That is an area I am committed to ensuring is adequately funded. The Deputy asked what the Government has done. I have to commend my predecessor on the work she did in this area.”